In March of last year, Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah put the truth straight about the government’s plans for 16 major activities.

In an interview with Ekosii Sen on Asempa FM, the Minister stressed that the programmes will be reviewed and not cancelled, contrary to reports by several news outlets.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah is said to have stated that 16 government flagship schemes will be discontinued.

According to sources, the decision was made during a three-day cabinet retreat at the Peduase Lodge in the Eastern Region to alleviate the country’s economic difficulties.

However, in response to the findings, the Minister stated that the schemes will be reviewed rather than scrapped.

“All 16 flagship programmes are available for review.” The President has mandated that the flagship programmes be safeguarded and fully implemented to ensure that the intended impact is realised. He does, however, want it done within the restrictions of item number two, which is the fiscal framework with which we are working.

“If, due to the constraints we face, we must rescope a specific flagship programme, we will do so and see how far we can get.” So all 16 are up for debate; none are off-limits.

“Only that the President has laid down the red line that we will not compromise on the fiscal consolidation agenda because our real problem over the years has been a year-on-year deficit going out of hand,” he remarked on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen.

Former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has responded to Nana Akomea, Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), who asked him not to accept ex-gratia money from the state.

Nana Akomea stated his aim to abolish ex-gratia when Mr Mahama comes to power during an appearance on Peace FM’s ‘Kokrokoo’ programme.

Mr Mahama responded to Mr Akomea’s remarks on Friday by clarifying that he does not receive ex-gratia. In contrast to Mr Akomea’s allegation, he indicated that he received a monthly pension.

He tweeted: “My friend Nana Akomea. Really sad what politics can do to a fine mind! I don’t take ex-gratia. I receive a monthly pension.”

When public officials or political officeholders leave their jobs, they are usually given ex-gratia payments.

Mr Akomea’s remark comes on the heels of Mr Mahama’s announcement last month at the launch of his presidential campaign for election in 2024 that one of the first things he will do as President is abolished the payment of ex-gratia to members of the Executive under Article 71 of the 1992 Constitution. Members of the Executive, Parliament, and the Judiciary are all eligible for public office under Article 71.

Mr Mahama stated that he will take the appropriate constitutional processes to remove members of the Executive in 2025.

He stated that the required efforts will be made to persuade members of the other branches of government to approve the elimination of ex-gratia payments.

His reasoning is that it is a burden on the public purse, and hence its removal is intended to guarantee the prudent use of public monies.

“The payments of ex gratia to members of the Executive under Article 71 will be scrapped and the necessary constitutional steps to abolish that payment will start in earnest in 2025… persuading the other arms of government other than the Executive to accept the removal of ex gratia,” he said.

Joe Jackson, the Director of Business Operations at Dalex Finance, believes that future governments will find it challenging to reinstate the licences of banks that failed a few years ago.

His remarks follow former President John Dramani Mahama’s promise to restore banking licences that he claimed were unfairly cancelled by the Akufo-Addo administration if re-elected in the 2024 general elections.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate also promised to rehire experienced workers who were laid off as a result of the banking sector clean-up.

“We will restore indigenous investment and the banking and investment sector. We will create a tiered banking system that will serve the various segments of the market. We will give an opportunity for experienced banking hands who were laid off to secure their careers once more and move away from the menial jobs that they were forced into. As far as practicable, the banking licenses that were unjustly cancelled by this government will be restored,” Mr. Mahama said.

This commitment was made during his acceptance speech following his victory in the NDC primaries last week.

Mr Joe Jackson, however, was doubtful of the pledge during a Big Issue discussion on Citi TV/Citi FM.

“It’s really going to be a difficult thing to do because of the entanglement and so much time has passed. Assuming that Mr. Mahama wins the 2024 general elections, he will assume office in 2025, which will be close to 7 years since the clean-up in the banking sector”.

“It becomes very difficult to understand how you are going to restore all these licenses. When you restore their licenses, does it mean that they will come back and re-capitalise? Set up another institution to get their clients back? The practicality is not that simple, restoring licenses is a very complicated issue. Were the banks unjustifiably taken? And how practical is it? It’s going to be difficult, challenging and not practicable,” the Director of Business Operations at Dalex Finance underscored.

He asked the government to put measures in place to allow Ghanaians to own the banking sector.

“Unfortunately, the fallout from the financial sector clean-up meant that the concentration of our financial sector in foreign hands is now higher than desirable. Some policies should be put in place to give Ghanaians the opportunity to take charge of the financial sector,” he opined.